36: Chapter 36 Akainu Takes Over, Returns to Marineford

Upon hearing these words, everyone in the bar couldn't help but gasp.

Was Sengoku actually forced to resign from anger?!

"Because the situation was sudden, the Gorosei bypassed the Admiral promotion procedure and issued a special directive!"

"Admiral 'Akainu' Sakazuki... just five minutes ago, officially assumed the position of acting Fleet Admiral and has taken full control of Marineford!"

Akainu has taken power?!

Rayleigh gripped his sword hilt tightly, his face instantly turning grim to the extreme.

That Akainu, who believes in "Absolute Justice" and uses extremely brutal and extreme methods—once he controls the Marine, this ocean will surely face an unprecedented bloodbath!

"Oh? The Red Dog has taken power?"

"And then what? A new official starts with three fires; what kind of ivory is coming out of that dog's mouth this time?"

On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Smoker swallowed hard, his voice trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"The first order issued by Fleet Admiral Akainu after taking office..."

"...is to officially list you, Mr. Karl... as the highest-level traitor in the eight-hundred-year history of the Marine! And on the spot, he stripped you of your Admiral title and Justice cloak!"

"He not only issued a bounty of five billion Berries but also bypassed the approval of Mary Geoise and initiated an 'unrestricted kill authorization' against you!"

Smoker roared with a sobbing tone: "Now, all the warships of the entire army, Admiral candidates, and even the Seven Warlords of the Sea have received a death order! No matter the cost, even if it means sinking the entire Sabaody Archipelago, they must bring your head back to Marineford!"

Inside the tavern, Luffy opened his mouth wide in a daze, and the pen in Ace's hand dropped directly to the ground.

"Uncle was fired! 5 billion bounty, awesome!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Hahahaha!"

"That red dog Akainu, it seems he didn't learn his lesson well enough from being whipped by my belt back at Marineford."

"Smoker! Pass on my order!"

"Immediately get the warship fired up and weigh anchor! Load up all the firepower for me!"

Smoker on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was completely stunned: "Ka... Mr. Karl? What are you doing?! There are Marines outside ready to capture you!"

"Capture me? I'd like to see them try even with ten times the courage!"

Karl lashed out with the seven wolves belt in his hand, and the belt let out a shrill sonic boom in mid-air that seemed to tear through space!

"Aren't they going to mobilize the entire army to come and take my head?"

"Then your uncle here will personally deliver the goods to them!"

"Turn the warship around! Target locked—Marineford!"

"Today, I am going to take my two good-for-nothing nephews to the Marine headquarters for a thorough return visit!"

"I am going to deliver a proper 'congratulatory gift' to that new Fleet Admiral bullshit Sakazuki in front of the entire army!"

Hearing these domineering and wildly arrogant words from Karl.

Rayleigh was completely dumbfounded.

Luffy and Ace were trembling with excitement, their eyes burning with a crazy fire.

Instead of retreating, he advanced!

In such a desperate situation, being wanted by the entire World Government and stripped of his Admiral title, he actually chose to charge alone toward the most heavily defended Marine headquarters?!

He's crazy! This uncle is completely crazy!

But this kind of madness makes one's blood boil to the extreme!

"Uncle is mighty! Let's go smash the Marine headquarters!" Luffy jumped onto the table excitedly.

"Let's smash all the teeth of that mad dog Akainu!" Ace's whole body ignited with orange flames.

Karl ignored the shouting of the two boys, hung up the Den Den Mushi, and looked toward the ocean with a cold, piercing gaze.

"Vegapunk's lair, I'll settle the score after I clean up the mess at Marineford."

Karl held the belt in his hand and strode out of the tavern.

"Let's go, you brats."

"Swish—!"

Off the coast of the Sabaody Archipelago, the sea breeze whistled by.

Countless News Coos, like white snowflakes filling the sky, were desperately scattering the latest issue of the "World Economic News" to every corner of the ocean.

On the deck of Karl's warship.

Smoker had six cigars in his mouth at once, but even so, he couldn't hide the fact that his hands holding the newspaper were trembling violently.

He stared fixedly at the blood-red characters on the front page headline!

[Earth-shattering News! Fleet Admiral Sengoku Resigns Due to Sudden Heart Condition!]

[Iron-blooded Leader Takes Power! "Akainu" Sakazuki Assumes Position of Acting Fleet Admiral!]

[Disgrace to the Marine! Former Admiral Karl Openly Rebels, Bounty of Five Billion Berries, Dead or Alive!]

"Crazy... the whole world has gone crazy!"

"Mr. Karl! Are you even listening to me?!"

Smoker's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice carried an unmistakable sense of breakdown.

"Akainu has completely taken over Marineford now! He has issued the highest-level unrestricted kill order!"

"Marine bases across the entire Grand Line have entered level-one combat readiness, and countless cannons are aimed directly at our route!"

Smoker took a deep breath and revealed the top-secret intelligence from within the Marine.

"Moreover, Admiral Kuzan is extremely dissatisfied with Akainu bypassing the ranks to take power; I heard they had a huge argument in the Fleet Admiral's office!"

"The Marine is now completely split into hardliners and moderates; the entire Marineford is a powder keg ready to explode at any moment!"

"Admiral... no, Mr. Karl!" Smoker dropped to one knee with a "thud".

"Returning to Marineford now is equivalent to sticking our necks onto Akainu's guillotine!"

"That's a dragnet set up by one hundred thousand elites, countless Pacifista, and heavy artillery; we have absolutely no chance of winning!"

Faced with Smoker's desperate dissuasion.

Karl, lying on the beach chair, just pushed up his sunglasses nonchalantly.

He held a snow-white silk handkerchief in his hand, and was extremely carefully and leisurely wiping that dark purple seven wolves belt.

"You're noisy, Smoker; your mental fortitude is lacking."

"What are you afraid of?"

A cold, arrogant, and mocking smirk curled the corners of Karl's mouth.

"Since Sakazuki stepped on old man Sengoku to become Fleet Admiral, shouldn't he hold an inauguration speech to celebrate?"

"As his old colleague, and even an elder of our Marine headquarters, isn't it reasonable for me to go back and give him a congratulatory gift?"

Hearing this bandit logic.

Not only Smoker, but even Luffy and Ace, who were lying on the deck catching up on their "Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Simulation" homework, were so scared that they dropped their pens on the ground.

"Uncle..." Luffy swallowed hard. "That red dog Akainu can spit magma! It's very hot!"

Ace was also terrified, orange flames dancing uneasily at his fingertips.

"Uncle, I heard that Marineford's defense system is fully activated. Our ship will be blasted into wood shavings before it even gets close to the port!"

"How about... we change places for special training? Can we go to the East Blue instead?"

"Snap!"

A crisp sound of the belt snapping exploded on the deck, scaring the two nephews into instantly covering their heads and crouching down defensively.

"Shut up! You two spineless cowards!"

Karl glared at them, frustrated by their lack of resolve.

"A few lousy cannons and a barking red dog are enough to scare you into this state?"

"Today, your uncle will teach you what it truly means to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before you!"

"As for the net you mentioned..."

Karl stood up from the beach chair, and violent dark purple Ryou Haki instantly swept across the deck.

"It depends on whether this net can actually hold a dragon that has crossed the river like me!"